First Presbyterian Church votes for re-affiliation

Published: Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 12:39 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 12:39 p.m.

On June 5, members of First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville voted to change their denominational affiliation from the Presbyterian Church USA to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Eighty-one percent of the members present voted in favor of the re-affiliation, church leaders said in a news release. Only a 75 percent vote was required.

“We see a bright future ahead,” Pastor Bill Campbell said in the release. “Even before the vote, our attendance and giving was up, and people have been joining and still others are waiting to join the church. We may lose some members over this, which saddens us, but I believe our gains will be huge. People will see that we are not changing as a congregation. We will continue to welcome everyone, to love everyone, and to remain biblically faithful.”

"We’re moving into a denomination that has been in existence longer than the PCUSA, and it has been grounded in the essentials of the faith from day one," Elder Glenn Richardson said in the release. "They keep the main thing as the main thing, and it has resulted in tremendous growth, both of the denomination and of individual churches. The PCUSA, on the other hand, has been shrinking for decades and drifting in a direction we can no longer follow.”

According to the moderator of the PCUSA General Assembly, five churches a week are leaving the denomination to re-affiliate with the EPC and other denominations, the release says.

“This is a new day,” church member Jane Waddell said in the release. “Rather than battle against headquarters, we can focus our efforts on ministry to the community and beyond.”

The next step for the church will be to negotiate a financial settlement with the regional governing body, the Presbytery of Western North Carolina, to receive clear title to the church property. The national average for such settlements with congregations the size of First Presbyterian has been less than $100,000 paid over five years, according to the release.

Once the terms are established, they will be presented to the congregation and then the WNC presbytery for a final vote, likely in July or October of this year.

The congregation will also be required to change its name.

“We’ve bounced around the name ‘Hendersonville Presbyterian Church,' which was the name of our congregation for its first 100 years,” Associate Pastor Carolyn Poteet said int he release. “It only became First Presbyterian when it celebrated its centennial. Whatever the congregation chooses, we look forward our new name and our new future that God has in store for us."

Some of the members who voted not to re-affiliate are talking with the WNC presbytery about establishing a continuing PCUSA congregation with the name “First Presbyterian Church” in a new location.

“If they do so, they will go with the elders’ support and blessing,” said Pastor Campbell. “Our strong preference, however, is that they remain with us. We love all of them, and I believe we can do ministry better together.”

<p>On June 5, members of First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville voted to change their denominational affiliation from the Presbyterian Church USA to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.</p><p> </p><p>Eighty-one percent of the members present voted in favor of the re-affiliation, church leaders said in a news release. Only a 75 percent vote was required.</p><p> </p><p>“We see a bright future ahead,” Pastor Bill Campbell said in the release. “Even before the vote, our attendance and giving was up, and people have been joining and still others are waiting to join the church. We may lose some members over this, which saddens us, but I believe our gains will be huge. People will see that we are not changing as a congregation. We will continue to welcome everyone, to love everyone, and to remain biblically faithful.”</p><p> </p><p>"We're moving into a denomination that has been in existence longer than the PCUSA, and it has been grounded in the essentials of the faith from day one," Elder Glenn Richardson said in the release. "They keep the main thing as the main thing, and it has resulted in tremendous growth, both of the denomination and of individual churches. The PCUSA, on the other hand, has been shrinking for decades and drifting in a direction we can no longer follow.” </p><p> </p><p>According to the moderator of the PCUSA General Assembly, five churches a week are leaving the denomination to re-affiliate with the EPC and other denominations, the release says.</p><p> </p><p>“This is a new day,” church member Jane Waddell said in the release. “Rather than battle against headquarters, we can focus our efforts on ministry to the community and beyond.”</p><p> </p><p>The next step for the church will be to negotiate a financial settlement with the regional governing body, the Presbytery of Western North Carolina, to receive clear title to the church property. The national average for such settlements with congregations the size of First Presbyterian has been less than $100,000 paid over five years, according to the release.</p><p> </p><p>Once the terms are established, they will be presented to the congregation and then the WNC presbytery for a final vote, likely in July or October of this year. </p><p> </p><p>The congregation will also be required to change its name.</p><p> </p><p>“We've bounced around the name 'Hendersonville Presbyterian Church,' which was the name of our congregation for its first 100 years,” Associate Pastor Carolyn Poteet said int he release. “It only became First Presbyterian when it celebrated its centennial. Whatever the congregation chooses, we look forward our new name and our new future that God has in store for us."</p><p> </p><p>Some of the members who voted not to re-affiliate are talking with the WNC presbytery about establishing a continuing PCUSA congregation with the name “First Presbyterian Church” in a new location. </p><p> </p><p>“If they do so, they will go with the elders' support and blessing,” said Pastor Campbell. “Our strong preference, however, is that they remain with us. We love all of them, and I believe we can do ministry better together.”</p>